kung fu

/ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/

//ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"kung-fu" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kung fu” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A Chinese martial art.

Key facts for kung fu
PropertyValue
Headwordkung fu
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kung fu” sits in English frequency

kung fu falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

kung fu is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

kung fu doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 功夫 (gōngfu, “skill, accomplishment, martial art”): kung¹-fu⁵. The correct English form is kung fu, spelled K-U-N-G- -F-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Chinese martial art.
  2. 2
    The Chinese martial arts collectively.
  3. 3
    A mastery of or expertise in a skill
  4. 4
    A mastery of or expertise in a skill

Etymology

From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 功夫 (gōngfu, “skill, accomplishment, martial art”): kung¹-fu⁵.

This word in other languages

kung-fu(Español)kung-fu(Français)Kung-Fu(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "kung fu"?
"kung fu" is spelled K-U-N-G- -F-U. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/.
What does "kung fu" mean?
As a noun, "kung fu" means: A Chinese martial art.
How do you pronounce "kung fu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kung fu" is /ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "kung fu"?
From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 功夫 (gōngfu, “skill, accomplishment, martial art”): kung¹-fu⁵. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “kung fu”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is K-U-N-G- -F-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list